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HomeWord - June 22, 2006

2006Jun 22

COMMENTS

The Gift of WordsThis devotional was written by Mike DeVries

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16.24 [TNIV]

It was Mother’s Day and the ritual that was about to take place in homes all across the country was about to happen in ours as well: the traditional “let’s cook Mom breakfast.” Each of our children had taken a task for the morning brunch. Our son was in charge of the bacon, my oldest daughter was in charge of the eggs, our middle daughter was in charge of cutting up the fruit, while our youngest was in charge of setting the table.

With the detailed precision of an elementary school band recital, we managed to pull together a halfway decent breakfast, just as long as you didn’t actually look in the kitchen to see the aftermath.

With everyone in their assigned place, the feast began. Dishes were passed. Glasses were knocked over, and a pile of napkins was used that could fill the Grand Canyon quite nicely.

After enjoying our hard work, the kids all brought Mom their school made creations – pots, poems, and picture frames – all crafted with the care of a master artist. Our son had made a pot out of two plastic cups. Between the cups were his school photo and a beach scene that had all of us thinking about a place far from home. It was filled with sand, upon which a candle was placed. “I love you, Mom.” Nice job – especially for an eleven-year-old boy.

Our oldest daughter was next. She made Mom a bound booklet filled with drawings and poetry extolling the virtues of her royal “Mom-ness.” On the cover was a large heart with flowers growing out of the top. Each picture was carefully drawn and colored. Every word carefully chosen to let Mom know how much she was loved.

Our youngest daughter, a kindergartener, came with a pot colored in blue, pink and green hues. Jewels encircled the top rim of the pot. In it, a seed sunk deep in the dirt and a laminated signpost, which reminded Mom that just as this little seed would grow into something beautiful, so would our precious daughter.

Lastly, our middle daughter came with a picture frame. Colored in pink and purple, with some nondescript white circles around it, the frame held this poem:

My Mom's smile is as bright as the sun. She is the greatest Mom in the world. She takes care of me every second of the minute, and every minute of the hour, and every hour of the day, and every day of the week, every week of the month, and every month of the year. My Mom is very, very special to me. She works very hard.

The entire time, I was watching my wife. Tears were flowing down her face. It had been a hard season for our family, a season filled with tough decisions and struggles. Life is rarely easy, is it? Yet as we sat there around the table, I kept thinking that words of grace and love are so healing, are they not? They touch the deepest part of us. We long for them, don’t we? We long to hear someone speak grace and love to us. It cleanses our souls and heals our aches.

1.Are there people you know who need to hear words of grace and love? Take a moment to write a note or make a phone call, letting them know how much you care for them. You’ll never know what it might do for them, or for you for that matter.